reloading 5.56 nato

Its all the same stuff. Primer pockets will probably need to be swaged and some cases might need a good trim other than that I just use standard .223 dies, components and case prep tools.
 
make 100% certain you are using 5.56 nato dies, or it wont work at all.....

yes all the same stuff as .223 rem, including dies. my reloading book doesn't have 5.56 data, but it does have ".223 AR15" data
 
muzzleblastm38 said:
what i need to reload 5.56 nato not 223
Click to expand...

1. A set of .223 dies. (they don't make 5.56 NATO dies) ;)
2. A reloading manual
3. A understanding of chamber pressure methods and throat standards.
4. Bullets and powder



SAAMI .223 pressure standards
52,000 cup (Copper crusher)
55,000 psi (Tranducer method)
NATO EPVAT testing (Pressure recorded in NATO design EPVAT Barrel with Kistler 6215 Transducer or by equipment to C.I.P. requirements)
62,366 psi

NOTE: All three pressure above are the exact same pressure measured three different ways.
The SAAMI interchangeability warning between the .223 and 5.56 came out in 1979 when the heavier M885 ammunition was introduced and the M16 rifles adopting a longer throat to maintain the same pressures.



Below, military M193 ammunition is loaded to the same exact as commercial .223 ammunition.

MIL-C-9963F
15 October 1976
SUPERSEDING
MIL-C-9963E
12 May 1970

MILITARY SPECIFICATION
CARTRIDGE, 5.56MM, BALL, M193

3.7 Chamber pressure.

3.7.1 Measurement by copper-crush cylinder.-The average chamber pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70° ± 2°F, shall not exceed 52,000 pounds per square inch (PSI). The average chamber pressure plus three standard deviations of chamber pressure shall not exceed 58,000 PSI.

3.7.2 Measurement by piezoelectric transducer.-The average chamber
pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70° ± 2°F, shall not
exceed 55,000 PSI. The average chamber pressure plus three standard
deviations of chamber pressure shall not exceed 61,000 PSI.

5. Zombie targets to test your loads. ;)



6. Lots of brass.



7. A accurate rifle.



8. And more brass.................



9. Lots of Zombie bullets. :D (you didn't plan on shooting Moose and Polar bears with a .223 did you) :rolleyes:

 
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Edit: Many people seem to be confused about .223 versus 5.56 (I also don't understand how some manufacturers can label their ammo as .223 (5.56) or the converse - in my mind that is just asking for trouble) when the differences between the two are pretty simple. I think the above statement, "Below, military M193 ammunition is loaded to the same exact as commercial .223 ammunition." should be qualified by saying that the geometry of the two chambers are different. While .223 (SAAMI) is loaded to a max of 55,000psi and 5.56 is apparently loaded to the same, they are made for two different chambers. A .223 round loaded to 55,000psi when fired in a .223 chamber may produce less pressure and velocity when fired in a NATO chamber. Conversely, firing 5.56 NATO ammo in a .223 chamber very likely will produce pressures higher than 55,000psi and increased velocities.

Regarding the OP's question - the materials and equipment are the same but 5.56 data is harder to come by. Amongst the manuals I have (Lee, Lyman, Hornady, Sierra, Nosler), the 9th Edition of the Hornady manual and the 7th edition of the Nosler manual contain 5.56 data. Between the two, I think the Hornady data is better because it is more comprehensive (in addition to a full range of bullet weights in the .223 section, it has 5.56 data for 55, 60, 68, 70, 75 and 80g bullets). Nosler only gives three charges per powder/projectile combo; and it only gives 5.56 data for 69gr and 77/80 gr projectiles. In addition, the Sierra manual has ".223 Remington (AR-15)" data - it's not clear to mean what they're doing here, but the velocities shown are less than in the .223 bolt action section. Maybe they're just showing what velocities will result if you fire a .223 load in a NATO chamber?

Specifically regarding the Hornady manual, unfortunately, the only 55gr bullet considered in the 5.56 section is their GMX projectile. The .223 data for the GMX is different from all other 55gr projectiles. It appears that because it is a solid gilding metal round it needs to be longer than a "normal" (i.e. lead-filled) bullet to get the same weight. The corresponding increase in length apparently results in more friction, and consequently higher pressures/reduced velocity compared to the other projectiles.
 
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